Throughout the car ride, Jo Seo Ha was busy. She took out a checklist from her large bag, recited each item, and memorized the order of outfits again. She even attempted to apply lipstick at a red light.

“Do it when we arrive. I’ll try to get there as fast as possible.”

Kyung Jun said, reaching out to grasp near Seo Ha’s shoulder before the wheels started rolling again.

“It’s ruined. The youngest is arriving last.”

“Well, that can happen.”

Fortunately, there wasn’t much traffic. Kyung Jun found the one empty spot in the parking lot and parked the car.

“I’ll just apply this and get out.”

Jo Seo Ha took out her lipstick and tissue and began carefully applying it.

The bright red lipstick covered her lips, which looked pale enough to seem sickly. Come to think of it, he realized he had never seen Jo Seo Ha with proper makeup on.

Should I open the door for her? Since it’s a special day.

Kyung Jun got out of the car and knocked on the passenger door. Through the slightly lowered window, Seo Ha looked at him as she put away her lipstick.

“Thanks for the ride. I mean it.”

Beneath her hair pulled tightly into a high ponytail, her small, round ears were noticeable. Looking at Seo Ha’s earlobes with just small holes and no sparkle, Kyung Jun slightly regretted not buying her earrings.

“Are you going to open the door now?”

“Since when have I opened the car door for you?”

Kyung Jun chuckled and opened the passenger door to help Seo Ha get out.

Click.

Simple black high heels touched the parking lot floor. Jo Seo Ha’s skin, white as if it had never seen sunlight, matched well with the sleek black suit.

Her makeup, completed with just red lipstick and nothing else, exuded a chic feeling.

“You look like a designer today.”

“Because I am a designer.”

Jo Seo Ha smiled slightly, lifting just the corners of her mouth. The strange thing was, despite never having seen her in heels before, her posture was as natural as someone who had been wearing high heels until yesterday.

“Thanks to you, I made it on time. I’ll go up first, see you later.”

“Alright.”

Even her hurried walking gait looked very comfortable. I had seen that there weren’t any heels in her shoe rack.

“… Well, never mind.”

As soon as Seo Ha disappeared from view, Kyung Jun turned and walked briskly towards the black foreign car parked opposite.

Knock knock.

There was no response when he knocked on the heavily tinted driver’s side window. Kyung Jun knocked on the window more forcefully and irritably.

Knock knock knock knock knock!

Only then did the window reluctantly open about a hand’s width. Through the gap, Lee Ji Soo’s face, still unpleasant to see after a long time, appeared.

“W-What is it?”

“Long time no see, Team Leader Lee Ji Soo.”

Kyung Jun said in a not at all welcoming tone and expression. Feeling something eerie, Ji Soo swallowed dryly.

“Move aside. I-I need to go up now.”

“Why is such a busy person not going up and instead creepily peeping at other people’s cars?”

He had felt eyes on him since getting out of the driver’s seat. It didn’t take long to realize the car opposite was Ji Soo’s.

He could just let her go. If only there was a guarantee that Ji Soo wouldn’t bother Seo Ha again with her childish antics.

“I-I said move aside?”

“Of course.”

Kyung Jun opened Ji Soo’s car door very politely. After hesitating, Ji Soo soon got out of the car like a noble lady alighting from a carriage, with her chin held high.

Slam.

Kyung Jun closed the car door as if throwing it and moved to block Ji Soo’s path.

“Let’s not make things uncomfortable for both of us by spreading useless rumors. I can see exactly what you’re thinking in that head of yours. If I hear any trashy rumors after this time, like ‘Jo Seo Ha seduced Ryu Kyung Jun,’ I’ll know it came from Team Leader Lee Ji Soo’s mouth.”

“D-Do I look that free to spread such rumors?”

“I believe you’ll be busy. You’d have to be busy to return to work without any trouble.”

After dropping those pointed words, Kyung Jun passed by Ji Soo and opened his own car door. The back of his head felt hot the entire time he smoothly drove out of the parking lot, but he didn’t really mind.

The evaluation meeting of a clothing company like Kang Yoon is on a scale reminiscent of a new season fashion show. Models of both genders ran around half-naked behind the runway, and designers were going crazy trying to take care of their works and props.

“Jo Seo Ha still hasn’t come? Does that youngest have any sense or not!”

Jung Se Hee shouted irritably. Even in the midst of everyone being so busy, it’s natural for the youngest designer to assist the seniors.

But that one youngest designer, who should have arrived first, still hadn’t shown up, greatly displeasing the seniors.

“Jo Seo Ha still hasn’t come? As the youngest, she should have been here since dawn…!”

Jung Se Hee, who was about to shout irritably, suddenly fixed her gaze on the entrance. Following her gaze, other designers and models instinctively turned their heads.

Click.

High heels hurriedly touched the floor.

“I’m sorry. I’m a bit late.”

It was always the unfashionable youngest designer. But today was different.

A black suit that perfectly hugged the lines of her slightly thin body and skin as white as if it had never seen sunlight. A perfectly lined red lip. Even her curly hair tied up high in a ponytail looked designer-like.

“Oh.”

Someone let out an exclamation. At that sound, Jung Se Hee shook her head sharply and gestured towards the inside with her chin.

“Move quickly. Start by checking if all the samples are in!”

“Yes. Understood!”

As Seo Ha bowed deeply, another person appeared behind her. Though they arrived at a similar time, unlike Seo Ha, this person’s steps were very leisurely and relaxed.

“Hello everyone. Have you been well?”

It was Lee Ji Soo, who had been working from home due to disciplinary action. Covered from head to toe in high-end lines from famous brands, Ji Soo exuded too much confidence for someone who had been disciplined.

“You’ve come, Team Leader!”

The senior designers greeted in unison.

Seo Ha, who had turned around sharply, and the still leisurely Ji Soo’s gazes met directly. It might be a strange thought, but at that moment, Seo Ha felt like Ji Soo flinched a little.

“Hello, Team Leader Lee Ji Soo! It’s been a while.”

Seo Ha smiled brightly. As if Ji Soo’s disciplinary action had nothing to do with her at all.

You can overcome rudeness, but not lack of awareness. Jo Seo Ha’s character right now was exactly that.

“Seo Ha, you have a good stomach.”

“Stomach? I did have indigestion yesterday, but I’m fine now.”

Such nonsense, which would be seen as sarcastic or teasing if done by someone else, seems sincere when done by someone lacking awareness.

A chilly air enveloped the purely bright Seo Ha and Ji Soo, who seemed to want to kill Seo Ha. However, there was no time to stand around like this.

“Hmph!”

Ji Soo, who snorted loudly enough to be heard, passed by Seo Ha’s side creating a cold wind.

“What happened to my samples? I sent them here at dawn!”

“They’re all here. The props too!”

Ji Soo’s items were in the main spot close to the runway, while Seo Ha’s were naturally in the corner. As Seo Ha opened boxes and hung items on hangers one by one, steaming them, she glanced at Ji Soo’s direction.

What if she hadn’t been suspended.

This was Ji Soo, who had been planning mischief from the production process. If it weren’t for the suspension, the process of making these clothes would have been three times more troublesome.

Did Ryu Kyung Jun think that far ahead and proceed with the work to impose such a severe punishment?

Suddenly, such a thought occurred to her, but it disappeared at someone’s scream.

“We’re in big trouble!”

Jung So Yeon, with a pale face, came running with her phone.

“The hair team had an accident on their way here!”

“What?!”

Everyone screamed at the same time, regardless of who they were.

“Is it just a fender bender? Or-!”

“They say it’s serious. There’s even an ambulance there now!”

“How many people were in that car?”

“Three!”

The hair and makeup team mobilized today was five people in total. The already tight number of people became even tighter.

Still, as if by agreement, everyone looked at Ji Soo, the team leader. Even though they knew inside that there was no good solution.

“Why are you looking at me? Instead of staring at me, call other shops!”

“It’s too early. Even if they agree to come, there’s no shop that can arrive in time, Team Leader!”

This had happened before at Kang Yoon. Due to a ridiculous communication error, the entire hair team went to the wrong place.

Among the designers who overcame that breathtaking situation together, only Seo Ha was present here.

“Um, just a moment.”

Seo Ha raised one hand high and requested to speak. Gazes that seemed to ask ‘What do you want?’ and Ji Soo’s fierce stare pierced her all at once.

“Jo Seo Ha, don’t you see how chaotic it is right now?”

Ji Soo questioned in a shrill voice, but there was little change in Seo Ha’s expression.

“Well, today isn’t a fashion show. It’s an evaluation meeting, right?”

“Are you saying this because you don’t know how important that is?”

“So, what’s important is our samples, right? Not how pretty the models are.”

Having said this far, Seo Ha suddenly untied the hair band holding her hair. Her unruly curly hair cascaded down onto her shoulders in a messy wave all at once.

“I’ll just tie my hair up today. I’ll also skip makeup.”

That day, Kang Yoon’s designers had the models do their own hair. No matter how good they claimed to be, it would show if they weren’t professionals, so they were instructed to tie it up no matter what.

Some did ponytails, some made buns like dumplings. Just like today’s Jo Seo Ha with her hair tied up and only lipstick applied.

Gazes scrutinized Jo Seo Ha from head to toe. Though they might not be as good as the designers who used to be at Kang Yoon, they too were designers with a discerning eye.

It was clearly visible how the simple styling, like a sketch laid on a pure white drawing book, actually enhanced the outfit.

“Then only Jo Seo Ha will do that. When will the rest of the team arrive? As soon as they arrive, we’ll start setting from model number 1, so get ready right away!”

Ji Soo shouted urgently, flipping her long hair back.

“I’m number 1.”

Jung Se Hee stepped forward.

“Two people are far from enough. I’ll also go with the same setting as Seo Ha. This season’s concept is modern, so it shouldn’t be bad.”

“Me too.”

“I’ll do the same. It’s fine since I don’t have many submissions anyway.”

More than half of the designers joined in agreement with Seo Ha’s opinion.

Well, their judgment isn’t completely useless after all.

Seo Ha thought this while outwardly just blinking innocently.